In the past, and even in the present, there are many fans who consider the odd-numbered films the good Transformers films, and that the even-numbered films are the weak links. I have never believed that; I have always considered the hatred for RotF and AoE extremely knee-jerk and bandwagon-ish. The former is no more stupid than its predecessor. The latter is not inferior to its predecessors; in many aspects it improves things, and it simply takes the story and characters into directions that were outside the comfort zones of many fans. Far from being totally awful, irredeemable pieces of garbage, the even-numbered films are overall more enjoyable to me than the odd-numbered films, and in many ways they are better executed than their odd-numbered counterparts.

1. They make more sense in fictional context as sequels.

Obviously the 2007 film was the first of the series, so it established the universe, and while I do love DotM, some people have pointed out that there are aspects of Megatron's plan that don't fully make sense in context, which may be a valid point. And TLK contradicts many things regarding its predecessor, such as the Knights, or ignores others, like Galvatron.

Revenge of the Fallen and Age of Extinction have plots that are much more heavily based on their predecessors than DotM and TLK. RotF has Decepticons looking for the Allspark shard, Sam having the Allspark imprinted on his mind, Megatron being on the bottom of the ocean, and the Autobots and military forming N.E.S.T. are all derived from the aftermath of the 2007 film. AoE has humans no longer trusting either faction, Lockdown and Cemetery Wind hunting down the Transformers on Earth, KSI making their own Transformers from the remains of Chicago's casualties, and Megatron as a head trying to plot his return, all as a result of Chicago's battle.
2. They overcame more challenging circumstances

Neither movie was a worst case scenario. I'd argue both were as good as they could have been given the circumstances, and as a result they get high marks in my book.

RotF was obviously a victim of the writers' strike, so it's actually a miracle it wasn't much, much worse.

AoE had to deal with the baggage of the first three films, the departure of the main human character, and go in a direction that was not too repetitive from what came before. I think the direction they chose was more fascinating than any NEST and the Autobots fighting Decepticons scenario or any Unicron plot.
3. Better paced

I find the first hours of DotM and 2007 to be a slog at points.

TLK's pacing is incredibly erratic, and some things happen way too quickly.

RotF is quicker-paced than 2007 and DotM, but it's not as erratic as TLK for me. It moves along like a fun adventure.

AoE actually builds well. Far from being too long, I like how it introduces its characters, builds over time and has some breathing room.

Honestly, both even-numbered films feel more like fun adventures to me. I find it both easier to be figuratively sucked into their worlds as well as perhaps literally due to the presence of Devastator's vortex and Lockdown's magnet. See what I did there?
4. Better sets and more creative designs

Tomb of the Primes. The ruins and arid landscape of Egypt, some of which were filmed in the deserts of California. A valley in Iceland that substitutes for the end of the Mesozoic era. Lockdown's ship, which has both practical and CGI aspects.

These are also the sequels that went crazy with a variety of designs, and I love it. The alien Egyptian motif of the Dynasty of Primes. The bizarre body plans of Demolisher and Rampage. The cyclopean space cat Ravage. Soundwave as a satellite. The visually expressive designs of the AoE Bots and Lockdown. The dragonesque Dinobots. The colorful and futuristic-looking KSI Decepticons. The cartoon-like Stupid Drones and cyborg Steeljaws on Lockdown's ship.
5. Robots

Granted I think DotM nails Sentinel and Megatron's fall from grace, but overall I think the even-numbered films have more enjoyable robots. RotF has the best Megatron-Starscream scenes in the series. We see Jetfire and Wheelie switch sides from the Decepticons to the Autobots. AoE actually shows Optimus regain his faith in humanity after being hunted. Even Hound is shown to grow more fond of the Yeagers as time goes on. The Autobot crew in AoE has more to them as a group and individuals than any of the other films. Lockdown has completely different motivations and goals than the other villains in the series, which is actually refreshing after having villains who wanted to destroy or enslave humanity.

Even the non-speaking robots in these films are neat. Ravage is quite a stealthy servant of the Decepticons, and the Dinobots are a visual spectacle as the cavalry.

6. Bigger universes

This is more teased than anything, but it's still worth noting. 2007 only mentions and shows Cybertron and Earth and Mars. However, in RotF we actually see the Nemesis posted on a world that is neither Earth or Cybertron (Some say it's Saturn, but this is not 100% certain for various reasons). The earliest Primes explored the universe for suns to harvest. Granted these are teases more than anything, but it suggests a larger universe.

DotM goes back to the Solar System and Cybertron. Then in AoE we actually see aliens from other worlds. Lockdown has been to other galaxies. The Autobot-Decepticon war was making a mess out of the universe. Earth was not the only planet the Creators cyberformed 66 million years ago; it was merely one of thousands of worlds the Creators devastated.

TLK goes back to a seemingly smaller universe that matters again. I would have loved to have seen more of other planets in the series, but the even-numbered films at least teased bigger universes.

Anyway, even if one hates the even-numbered films, I think it's clear they have some good qualities that are underappreciated or ignored. Preferences for the other films? Completely understandable. Is there a huge difference in quality? Absolutely not. None of the films are perfect, but the even-numbered films are acceptable and, in my opinion, heavily enjoyable, underrated, over-the-top action romps that are perfectly at home within the brand.

Do you also like them? Even if you don't like them, what are some aspects you do like?

I've never even seen the second and third ones, but I can agree with you that AOE builds well. I don't get why it's so despised. Like, I'm not saying it's a good movie, but I had the most fun watching it by far compared to '07 and TLK. At the very least, it was funny and genuinely entertaining.

I've never even seen the second and third ones, but I can agree with you that AOE builds well. I don't get why it's so despised. Like, I'm not saying it's a good movie, but I had the most fun watching it by far compared to '07 and TLK. At the very least, it was funny and genuinely entertaining.

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I mean I can understand someone not liking it or any of the films. I just don't think it ruins Transformers or Bayformers like some people say. Nor is it a decline in quality in terms of production from the other films. I think it's just less safe and comfortable than the previous films. It went in directions some people, both Bayverse fans and other Transformers fans, never wanted, like Prime's loss of faith in humanity, alien bounty hunters working with humans to hunt Transformers, and humans making their own Transformers. And it's fine if fans don't like that direction, but those are still things well within the realm of Transformers.

In fact, if you think about it the core Transformers story in AoE is basically Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1, where alien bounty hunters working for the Quintessons were capturing the Autobots to bring to their makers. 2007-DotM are the equivalents of the first two seasons of the Sunbow cartoon. The robots dying in Chicago in DotM is like the robots dying in Autobot City in TT:TM 1986, which follows up with AoE, the FFoD, Pt 1 equivalent. So the movies, even if one doesn't like them, actually parallel G1 quite well.

I mean that was a moment that was so out of left field I can't help but be enamored with how ridiculous such a design looks in live action. Then again, that film is inspired by many of the less revered stories in the brand, and given the Season 3 inspiration it wouldn't surprise me if their designs were inspired by something out of Webworld.

I mean that was a moment that was so out of left field I can't help but be enamored with how ridiculous such a design looks in live action. Then again, that film is inspired by many of the less revered stories in the brand, and given the Season 3 inspiration it wouldn't surprise me if their designs were inspired by something out of Webworld.

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It looked like one of Cade's designs. Human. Not alien. i.e., doesn't belong there. Out of place.

To put things more clearly, when we are shown Lockdown for the first time, then the knight ship, the prisoners and his soldiers, by that point you get a sense of who they are. A very dark and intimidation comes in. I liked that.

But then they throw in those silly drones? Like that doesn't belong there. Like mini dinobots (served no purpose) they threw those in just for the sake of cuteness/silly

It looked like one of Cade's designs. Human. Not alien. i.e., doesn't belong there. Out of place.

I'm aware.

To put things more clearly, when we are shown Lockdown for the first time, then the knight ship, the prisoners and his soldiers, by that point you get a sense of who they are. A very dark and intimidation comes in. I liked that.

But then they throw in those silly drones? Like that doesn't belong there. Like mini dinobots (served no purpose) they threw those in just for the sake of cuteness/silly

To put things more clearly, when we are shown Lockdown for the first time, then the knight ship, the prisoners and his soldiers, by that point you get a sense of who they are. A very dark and intimidation comes in. I liked that.

But then they throw in those silly drones? Like that doesn't belong there. Like mini dinobots (served no purpose) they threw those in just for the sake of cuteness/silly

Click to expand...

Doesn't belong there? Not everyone in prison champs or enemy lairs or bases needs to be these super intimidating guardians or badass soldiers. The Decepticon camp in DotM had Igor and hatchlings. In Star Wars you'll see harmless little robots on the Death Star and on Mustafar.

The Stupid Drones Tessa encounters appear to be workers. They are seen in the trash room, so they sort out the garbage on Lockdown's ship.

And Transformers has always had silly and goofy things in it. I'm not sure why that's such a huge complaint about a Transformers film of all things.

I mean that was a moment that was so out of left field I can't help but be enamored with how ridiculous such a design looks in live action. Then again, that film is inspired by many of the less revered stories in the brand, and given the Season 3 inspiration it wouldn't surprise me if their designs were inspired by something out of Webworld.

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They reminded me of the cube characters from reboot actually... I liked the fact that it did add some sort of dimension to the ship, in the same way as finding the bathroom would on an organic alien ship.

But yeah, I think I liked them a lot better then the awkward moment between Cade and Shane where Bay thought that it was necessary to illustrate that there was a provision in Texas law allowing the relationship between Shane and Tess- which I still feel is perhaps the best example of something that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

What killed Age of Extinction for me was Walhberg’s toxic obsession with his daughter’s virginity, the poorly executed Chinese product placement, psychopath Prime, and killing off Lockdown.
Mostly the Walhberg thing, but this movie could’ve been perfect.

Doesn't belong there? Not everyone in prison champs or enemy lairs or bases needs to be these super intimidating guardians or badass soldiers. The Decepticon camp in DotM had Igor and hatchlings. In Star Wars you'll see harmless little robots on the Death Star and on Mustafar.

The Stupid Drones Tessa encounters appear to be workers. They are seen in the trash room, so they sort out the garbage on Lockdown's ship.

And Transformers has always had silly and goofy things in it. I'm not sure why that's such a huge complaint about a Transformers film of all things.

Click to expand...

They kinda remind of the eyeball things from Revenge of the Sith
The attempted 2nd trilogy got strange

They kinda remind of the eyeball things from Revenge of the Sith
The attempted 2nd trilogy got strange

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Transformers has always been strange, and the movies are no exception. I mean the first film had the Allspark go from the size of a large house to the size of a box able to be held by a human, and it later turned vending machines and X-Boxes into Transformers. RotF had robot heaven and Appliancebots. DotM had Igor, who was likely meant to be the deranged, walking head of a dead Decepticon like Long Haul and licked Abraham Lincoln's decapitated head.

So yeah, the Stupid Drones are strange, but the strange things in the more recent films are not stranger than what came before. They're just more like something out of Webworld or another Season 3 episode, which makes sense because the more recent films are more Season 3-inspired.

In the past, and even in the present, there are many fans who consider the odd-numbered films the good Transformers films, and that the even-numbered films are the weak links. I have never believed that; I have always considered the hatred for RotF and AoE extremely knee-jerk and bandwagon-ish. The former is no more stupid than its predecessor. The latter is not inferior to its predecessors; in many aspects it improves things, and it simply takes the story and characters into directions that were outside the comfort zones of many fans. Far from being totally awful, irredeemable pieces of garbage, the even-numbered films are overall more enjoyable to me than the odd-numbered films, and in many ways they are better executed than their odd-numbered counterparts.

1. They make more sense in fictional context as sequels.

Obviously the 2007 film was the first of the series, so it established the universe, and while I do love DotM, some people have pointed out that there are aspects of Megatron's plan that don't fully make sense in context, which may be a valid point. And TLK contradicts many things regarding its predecessor, such as the Knights, or ignores others, like Galvatron.

Revenge of the Fallen and Age of Extinction have plots that are much more heavily based on their predecessors than DotM and TLK. RotF has Decepticons looking for the Allspark shard, Sam having the Allspark imprinted on his mind, Megatron being on the bottom of the ocean, and the Autobots and military forming N.E.S.T. are all derived from the aftermath of the 2007 film. AoE has humans no longer trusting either faction, Lockdown and Cemetery Wind hunting down the Transformers on Earth, KSI making their own Transformers from the remains of Chicago's casualties, and Megatron as a head trying to plot his return, all as a result of Chicago's battle.
2. They overcame more challenging circumstances

Neither movie was a worst case scenario. I'd argue both were as good as they could have been given the circumstances, and as a result they get high marks in my book.

RotF was obviously a victim of the writers' strike, so it's actually a miracle it wasn't much, much worse.

AoE had to deal with the baggage of the first three films, the departure of the main human character, and go in a direction that was not too repetitive from what came before. I think the direction they chose was more fascinating than any NEST and the Autobots fighting Decepticons scenario or any Unicron plot.
3. Better paced

I find the first hours of DotM and 2007 to be a slog at points.

TLK's pacing is incredibly erratic, and some things happen way too quickly.

RotF is quicker-paced than 2007 and DotM, but it's not as erratic as TLK for me. It moves along like a fun adventure.

AoE actually builds well. Far from being too long, I like how it introduces its characters, builds over time and has some breathing room.

Honestly, both even-numbered films feel more like fun adventures to me. I find it both easier to be figuratively sucked into their worlds as well as perhaps literally due to the presence of Devastator's vortex and Lockdown's magnet. See what I did there?
4. Better sets and more creative designs

Tomb of the Primes. The ruins and arid landscape of Egypt, some of which were filmed in the deserts of California. A valley in Iceland that substitutes for the end of the Mesozoic era. Lockdown's ship, which has both practical and CGI aspects.

These are also the sequels that went crazy with a variety of designs, and I love it. The alien Egyptian motif of the Dynasty of Primes. The bizarre body plans of Demolisher and Rampage. The cyclopean space cat Ravage. Soundwave as a satellite. The visually expressive designs of the AoE Bots and Lockdown. The dragonesque Dinobots. The colorful and futuristic-looking KSI Decepticons. The cartoon-like Stupid Drones and cyborg Steeljaws on Lockdown's ship.
5. Robots

Granted I think DotM nails Sentinel and Megatron's fall from grace, but overall I think the even-numbered films have more enjoyable robots. RotF has the best Megatron-Starscream scenes in the series. We see Jetfire and Wheelie switch sides from the Decepticons to the Autobots. AoE actually shows Optimus regain his faith in humanity after being hunted. Even Hound is shown to grow more fond of the Yeagers as time goes on. The Autobot crew in AoE has more to them as a group and individuals than any of the other films. Lockdown has completely different motivations and goals than the other villains in the series, which is actually refreshing after having villains who wanted to destroy or enslave humanity.

Even the non-speaking robots in these films are neat. Ravage is quite a stealthy servant of the Decepticons, and the Dinobots are a visual spectacle as the cavalry.

6. Bigger universes

This is more teased than anything, but it's still worth noting. 2007 only mentions and shows Cybertron and Earth and Mars. However, in RotF we actually see the Nemesis posted on a world that is neither Earth or Cybertron (Some say it's Saturn, but this is not 100% certain for various reasons). The earliest Primes explored the universe for suns to harvest. Granted these are teases more than anything, but it suggests a larger universe.

DotM goes back to the Solar System and Cybertron. Then in AoE we actually see aliens from other worlds. Lockdown has been to other galaxies. The Autobot-Decepticon war was making a mess out of the universe. Earth was not the only planet the Creators cyberformed 66 million years ago; it was merely one of thousands of worlds the Creators devastated.

TLK goes back to a seemingly smaller universe that matters again. I would have loved to have seen more of other planets in the series, but the even-numbered films at least teased bigger universes.

Anyway, even if one hates the even-numbered films, I think it's clear they have some good qualities that are underappreciated or ignored. Preferences for the other films? Completely understandable. Is there a huge difference in quality? Absolutely not. None of the films are perfect, but the even-numbered films are acceptable and, in my opinion, heavily enjoyable, underrated, over-the-top action romps that are perfectly at home within the brand.

Do you also like them? Even if you don't like them, what are some aspects you do like?